Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D. H. Lawrence

Set in post WWI England, this is a story that examines the twin roles of sensuality and intellectualism in relationships. Lady Chatterley has a husband that is crippled from the waist down and unable to to sexually perform. Because they have a strong cerebral relationship at first the lack of physical intimacy isn’t an issue, but over time Lady Chatterley becomes less and less satisfied, eventually starting an affair. There are more than a few fairly explicit erotic sections which explains why this novel was banned in many countries for many years. More interesting though, is the message that Lawrence conveys: as important as an emotional and intellectual connection is in a relationship, a physical, sexual component is required for true happiness.

Written in the early part of the twentieth century, the style is stodgy but readable except when a speaker drops into the local, uneducated dialect. “Tha mun come one naight ter th’ cottage, afore tha goos; sholl ter?” And this isn’t the most obtuse passage! Lawrence has a sly sense of humor I liked, too. “Sex and a cocktail: they both lasted about as long, had the same effect, and amounted to about the same thing.” Overall I can’t say I loved the book, but I’m not sorry I read it either.

First Sentence:

Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

Strip Poker, by Lisa Lawrence

I hadn’t read an erotic novel since I was in junior high and there was one being passed around the school. When I saw this in a bargain bin, I thought I’d see if the same naughty thrill exists twenty-five years later. While it was less exciting, less forbidden this time, I still found this an enthralling book. As one character says, “The most underrated sexual organ is the imagination.” This book certainly stimulates... the imagination.

There is plenty of sex here; one or two scenes in each chapter. The episodes are both steamy and widely varied, like separate letters to Penthouse Forum. Stitching together the scenes is a fairly silly plot: a private investigator looking into threats made against members of an underground strip poker game. The rules of the game are vague; instead of money the participants use sexual favors as the stake, but the relative worth isn’t explained which makes the betting hard to follow—especially when players can check after a bet has been placed. Clearly though, an entertaining card game is not the focus of the book, the sex is! This is the first of a series, with the main character set up to apparently be some sort of sexual detective. Sherlock Holmes this isn’t, but I might give the next chapter a shot!

First Sentence:

Stretch limos don’t normally impress me.